


and we will stumble through heaven

by emmaofmisthaven



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-27 08:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5041033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmaofmisthaven/pseuds/emmaofmisthaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’s been sitting in a corner all night long, just staring at her – so beautiful in her red dress, her tan skin shining in the dim light, her laugh swallowed by the loud music but her grins warming him from the inside out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and we will stumble through heaven

“You’re a wanker, you know that?”

Lance turns his head to find Merida standing in front of him, closed fists on her hips and scowl on her face. It’s the first time he’s seen her in a dress in the few years they’ve know each other, a striking different from her usual jeans-sneakers – she looks pretty, red curls all around her face, blue dress hugging her body. He has no idea why she bothered dressing up, since she came as his platonic date and punched his shoulder when he asked if she wanted to take an official prom picture. It still stings, she has a mean right hook.

A pissed off Merida is a terrifying Merida, and Lance knows better than to reply to her answer. Especially knowing that, yes, he very much is a wanker, thank you very much.

He’s been sitting in a corner all night long, just staring at her – so beautiful in her red dress, her tan skin shining in the dim light, her laugh swallowed by the loud music but her grins warming him from the inside out. She looks particularly radiant now, her prom queen crown on her head as she chats happily with her girl friends – Ruby, Mulan and Marian all there to congratulate her. (Emma is nowhere to be seen, but Lance saw her and Killian sneaking out hours ago.)

“Just ask her for a dance.”

“She came here with Arthur.”

It’s as lame as excuses come – the only reason Gwen came with Arthur tonight is because she didn’t have the heart to tell him she had changed her mind, now that she has realised what a boring boyfriend he is. Not that Lance is one to judge. Not that Lance is one to hope she would have come with him, instead. Perhaps, if given the chance… No.

“And she can go home with you if you play your cards right.” Merida adds a tongue-in-cheek thing, and Lance forces himself not to make a face – subtlety never was her thing, but it’s only worse when she tries her hand at innuendos.

That’s why he downs his drink (unspiked, Whale and Hatter failed this time) and stands – because he wants to avoid Merida, not because he wants to move closer to Gwen, or to ask her to dance, or to wait for a romantic song and… No.

She meets him halfway there, not so delicately shoved in his general direction by a smug Ruby (he’ll have to have a discussion with them, seriously), and then he can only, foolishly, grin down at her. She grins back, dazzling, perfect. He’s so far gone it’s not even funny anymore. It never was funny. He was in too deep the moment he met her, and doomed the moment he learned she had been dating Arthur for years.

“Your Highness,” he says, bowing to her.

Her laugh rings to his ears this time, loud and carefree. “My liege,” she replies, grabbing the skirt of her dress in a curtsey of her own. “Would you dance with your queen?”

“It would be an honour.”

She doesn’t need more to pull him towards the throng of dancing teenagers, her hand in his. Lance forces himself not to stumble on his own feet as he follows – football practice made him good on his feet, but Gwen always has a way to throw him off balance. Especially when she wraps her arms around his neck, raising on her tiptoes to erase some of the height difference between them, while he clumsily put his own hands on her waist.

“I wanted to thank you, Lance.” He raises both eyebrows, a silent question. “For asking people to vote for me. I know you did.”

He is glad for the barely lit gymnasium, as well as his dark skin, for hiding the flush spreading all over his face. He hadn’t meant for her to know, had been most discreet about it. But, as always with his group of friends, a secret doesn’t remain a secret for long – especially not when there is some meddling on the line, little vixens that they all are.

“You deserve it. More than anyone else.”

“And you deserved to be my king.”

There is no embarrassment in her gaze, no nervousness – Gwen has never been one to shy away from her feelings, and his heart races away as she makes them perfectly clear. He – he had hoped, of course. The girls had hinted at it. But being slapped with her feelings for him, so unexpected, so unbashful, is a bit of a mouthful, and he just stares at her for long seconds. He doesn’t move, if not for the gentle sway of her body against him, in rhythm with the music.

And then she’s tugging him down, just enough that she can reach his lips – soft and tentative, but certain too. Claiming him as hers, as if his heart doesn’t belong to her already, as if he doesn’t belong to her already. (She knows. She has to know.)

“I am but a knight, Your Highness,” he jokes.

“That will do.”


End file.
